AfD Hits Record 29% in Germany, Opening 7-Point Lead Over CDU
Updated
Updated · UnHerd · May 20
AfD Hits Record 29% in Germany, Opening 7-Point Lead Over CDU
3 articles · Updated · UnHerd · May 20
INSA put Germany’s AfD at a record 29%, ahead of the governing Christian Democrats on 22% and giving the party its biggest lead yet.
Alice Weidel also led Friedrich Merz by 10 points in the preferred-chancellor measure, while separate Forsa and Allensbach polling likewise showed AfD at or near record highs.
The gains are no longer confined to former East German strongholds: recent polling shows support spreading westward, and Saxony-Anhalt stands at 42% ahead of a September regional vote.
The surge has intensified pressure on the mainstream parties’ Brandmauer strategy, with Merz weakened inside a coalition where the SPD is accused of blocking immigration reform and driving more voters to AfD.
Will Germany's mainstream parties soon be forced to partner with the far-right?
Is the political 'firewall' against Germany's far-right accidentally building its power?
Could targeted investment in declining regions be the key to halting populism?